CINCINNATI 1966. WEST 94 -
EAST 137

Local player Adrian 'Odie' Smith, a late selection by the coaches
along Chet Walker, surprised everybody with a great performance that
helped his team to win clearly 137-94. Probably he has been the most unknown MVP in the history of the
NBA All Star Games. The game's MVP was to be awarded a brand new Ford Galaxie
500 convertible, and since the game
have no competition, encouraged by his teammates and the fans, an inspired Smith was force-fed the ball for the entire second
half. His mate in Cincinnati Royals, Oscar Robertson, made 17 points 10 rebounds and 8 assists.
The difference in the score (43 points) is the biggest in the
NBA All Star history.

Adrian Smith was the third consecutive Cincinnati Royal player to win
the MVP, after Oscar Robertson in 1964 and
Jerry Lucas en 1965. Robertson also won the
award in 1961 and 1969,
dominating Cincinnati the 60's MVP with a great 5 out of 10 total. Smith
also became the only player in the NBA All-Star Game history who was able to win
the MVP trophy in his only participation, not bad for a guy drafted out of
Cincinnati in the 15th round whose first
All-Star shot was an airball. Up to this day, Adrian Smith still has the car,
and sporadically drives it if it's not raining. Ha has refused all the offers
received for the car, it has an inestimable emotional value.

Red Auerbach (Eastern team coach) decided to include Wilt
Chamberlain on the starting five instead of Bill Russell. Both
players were unanimous choices by the
sportwriters. The day before the game Auerbach joked about flipping a coin
before the game to determine which of the superstars would be in the starting
line-up... who knows? Maybe he did it.